Tag Archives: TIBET

As we know, Crimea was annexed by Russia in a move that is illegal under international law. Russian claims that it is legitimate because the people of Crimea voted in a referendum that they want to be annexed. Many American deny that the collective will of the Crimeans are relevant to the legality of Russia’s annexation. However, notice that many of those who advocate for Tibet to be independent do so because they rely on an ad populum argument, it’s the will of the people of Tibet to be independent. This assumption is unsubstantiated and from the available evidence false (see here and here). But even for the sake of argument if most Tibetans wanted independence, Tibet’s legal situation much like Crimea’s legal situation is not a matter of popular will but of national sovereignty. Ukraine has a right to it much as China has a right to sovereignty over Tibet as recognized by international law and the international community.

Some pics of my Tibet trip. I went to the main monasteries of Lhasa and Shigatse. I went to Qomolangma (Mt. Everest) base camp and lake Yamdrotso among other places. And no, there were no signs of cultural genocide or any other genocides to speak of.

One of the best methods used by colonists, genociders, and other racist oppressors is to use testimony from certain members of the victim group as evidence of the victim group’s subhuman nature. We are told that this member of that group agrees with the oppresser’s narrative of the inferiority of the victim group. White slave masters loved to show-off their House Negroes who went on about the natural inferiority of the black race and how slavery was a good thing for his people. This kind of co-opting of narratives to serve as a tool to justify racism and oppression is common throughout history. If even they say they’re inferior/evil/stupid/worthy of oppression, oppressing them has to be right!

The Dalai Lama has in the last month, been making some serious allegations about China. He said that CCP agents posed as devotees and tried to kill him by putting poison in their hair so that when he blesses (see here and here, e.g.) them, he is smeared with the poison. The Dalai Lama also claimed that China has stolen samples of his urine.

It seems not. Rarely does their opinions (or the opinions of Chinese citizens for that matter) come into the equation when speaking about Sino-Tibetan issues. It’s taken as a given that they all want independence. That all of their lives are far worse under Chinese “occupation” than it was under the Dalai Lama’s Shangrila Kingdom. Westerners likely take the viewpoints of Tibetan emigres as a representative sample of 5.8 million Tibetans inside Tibet.

Granted, other than the anecdotal evidence from travelers, there are few objective evidence from surveys are rarely conducted inside Tibet. But I know of two that polls ethnic Tibetans inside Tibet for their views. But what are their views?

What is the worst thing you could say or write about someone? Maybe alleging that they are a murderer. Perhaps it is labeling them a child molester. Both these accusations, when used without factual merit, constitute serious slander or libel. But what is the worst thing you could say about a groupof people, a nation or ethnic group?